The March (session)
The March was the 38th session of the Daevenfell campaign, and the seventh session of Chapter 7: Crusade of the Damned. Drow Summary Right as the Drow charges into combat against the March reinforcements from The Citadel, Ycaron feels something land on his shoulder. Junior, Edith's imp, having looked for days, has just reached him in time to parlay. Grinding his teeth, he moves somewhere private to talk to his enemy. Edith claims they have captured Yllaria (proving it through sharing the drow woman's pet name for him, Summersong), and wants him to back down if he wants her to live. She says the price for her life is Har'tovh Kee's head, and letting them leave this world unopposed. Her tone, however, leaves no doubt she still despises the drow. Ycaron, after a brief moment of doubt, tells her that she and Ridqeck are already dead, but if she leaves Yllaria alone he will let the rest of The Resistance leave. Then he stabs Junior to death, to regenerate some other day. The battle begins. The Drow easily dispose of the first March troop, but are eventually overrun by their superior numbers. Quintillion sneaks onto Har'tovh Kee's invisible ship, but is discovered, and kindly(?) asked to leave. He is forced to obey. As the drow's numbers dwindle, Har'tovh Kee reveals his true power, casting his cloak away and revealing a metal exoskeleton, glowing with blue light. Likewise, the old, illusory ship falls away to reveal a huge metal contraption, charging some strange, radiant beam that wreaks destruction in the midst of The March's forces. As the Drow fight valiantly but hopelessly, Har'tovh Kee makes easy targets of The March, sending them fleeing. Then he turns his weapon on the civilians, massacring a thousand people who have come here from the Citadel, leaving not a single one alive. The Drow are victorious, owing mainly to their powerful ally. Among the burning corpses, Ycaron starts to realize Har'tovh Kee is way too powerful to bow to him. Quintillion was right to mistrust the elf. He has been fooled. Worse – Edith was correct. He shares the recent developments and makes up with his old friend Quintillion, as Murmillo reports of a Drow among the March casualties. Mutilated and dying, Ycaron's father confronts his son, who secretly (and shamefully) let him live all those years ago. Finally, having killed his father for real, his title is legitimate, though these are not the ideals he claimed to profess, following La Luna's gentle light. Old Prince Dëdalon has only one, dying wish: for his son to man up, follow his goddess, and not some other elf's agenda. Ycaron will be no man's fool anymore. He grits his teeth, and writes a note to Edith, telling her he will join them against Har'tovh Kee, and sends Baron Blood to sneak into Woodrope to parlay. The Baron gleefully agrees, happy to be of service. Resistance summary Edith is rebuked from her (initial) parlay with Ycaron. She gives her forces the order to prepare for battle, to hold their ground in Woodrope before they leave for the portal, yet prepare to escape through their secret tunnel if everything goes wrong. Siege engines are built. Eddy arrives, with news that Yllaria has awoken. Edith goes in as her old woman alter ego, and asks the drow woman for help, keeping close to the truth: Ycaron has gone insane, murdering everything in his path. Yllaria has nothing to help them. That night, the Resistance is plagued by dark dreams. Prince Auburn's retinue, awoken, in hideous, demonic, twisted versions of themselves, preparing to lead a large host of demons toward an ancient castle in the north – The Citadel. Oleg, the druid, is able to stay lucid, somehow himself in the body of the demonic Vinroris. He reports everything to the rest of the Resistance. He's been receiving visions since he was a child. Now he's starting to realize their context. Eddy receives a bountiful gift from Apollo, and figures out a way to conjure magical eggs, hatching delicious chickens. The Resistance and The March, both survivors of Davenfeldt, bond over tasty omelets, finding some common ground. When suddenly, Baron Blood arrives, invisibly, and has Wolfram lead him to Edith. He hands the tiefling Ycaron's note, and she decides to trust him enough to send Junior to meet with the King, once more. The ancient assassin slips away back into the woods. A day's march away, Junior meets up with Ycaron. They call a truce, and Edith agrees to have a force ready to flank Har'tovh Kee before he can board his ship. An uneasy alliance has been forged. But if their combined forces can defeat the creature known as Har'tovh Kee, is anyone's guess. First Appearances * Prince Dëdalon